The fully electric I-Pace will make Jaguar the first luxury brand to cross wires with Tesla.

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From the May 2018 issueNearly six years after Tesla’s Model S became the first volume-produced pure-electric luxury vehicle with a range rivaling that of internal-combustion-engined cars, it still has no direct competition. Indeed, the $3.5 trillion auto industry has inexplicably sat by while this upstart built a $56 billion market capitalization. At least until now. Jaguar’s production 2019 I-Pace looks almost exactly like the electric crossover concept that stunned Los Angeles showgoers in 2016. When it arrives in dealerships later this year, priced from $70,495 before tax credits, it will give the well-heeled something to cross-shop. And Elon Musk headaches.

Chassis

The I-Pace is a four-door hatch with a small frunk and a generous rear cargo hold. Formwise, it sort of splits the difference between the Tesla Model S and X. Its cabin promises to be roomy enough for five adults, as its available 22-inch wheels are pushed out to the corners of the vehicle, permitting a Lincoln Town Car–like 117.7-inch wheelbase. This despite a total length of only 184.3 inches, about the size of Jaguar’s compact XE sedan. The latter car has six less inches between its axles. Jaguar is calling the design “cab forward.” We hope that wherever Dodge pitchman Edward Herrmann is now, he’s smiling.

An aluminum-intensive structure incorporates the battery pack, which lies flat in the floor, as in a Tesla. This helps drop the center of gravity and contributes to the I-Pace’s 50/50 weight distribution. Jaguar says the I-Pace tips the scales at 4784 pounds, about 200 pounds lighter than a dual-motor Model S and some 800 lighter than a Model X. Aluminum also serves in the suspension, which has control arms in the front and a multilink design in the rear. Air springs adjust the ride height, dropping the car 0.4 inch at speeds above 65 mph for improved aerodynamics.

The Land Rover side of the company must have shamed Jaguar into at least considering the I-Pace’s off-roading chops, although they are meager, with approach and departure angles measuring in the teens. It is, however, possible to use the air suspension to raise the vehicle at speeds below 31 mph, improving its 7.3 inches of ground clearance by a further 2.2 inches and giving the I-Pace the ability to ford up to 19.7 inches of water. That ought to be a fun activity, at least for those who enjoy tossing plugged-in hair dryers into bathtubs full of water.

Powertrain

The 1329-pound battery pack is made up of 432 liquid-cooled lithium-ion pouch cells and rated at 90 kilowatt-hours. It feeds 388 volts to twin 197-hp permanent-magnet synchronous electric motors, one at each end of the car to provide all-wheel drive. Regenerative braking is adjustable to allow for one-pedal driving. Jaguar says this setup should be good for a 4.5-second zero-to-60-mph sprint and a top speed of 124 mph. More important, Jaguar claims the battery should deliver 240 miles of range, though the EPA has yet to weigh in.

Both DC fast charging and home charging are supported. A 100-kW DC charger can replenish 80 percent of capacity in as little as 40 minutes—if you can find one. Outside of Tesla’s Supercharger network, almost all of America’s DC fast chargers top out at 50 kilowatts. A full charge from a 240-volt, 32-amp wall charger like you’d have installed in your garage will take almost 13 hours.

The biggest surprise is actually in the cabin. Rather than letting its first all-electric vehicle operate in near silence, punctuated as it is in most EVs by whirs and whines, Jaguar has chosen to create a score out of whole cloth. The faux engine sounds are piped through the audio system, climbing with speed and falling as the car slows.

Design and Tech

That extractor on the hood channels air from the grille to stream more efficiently over the windshield and roofline, air that also feeds the car’s underhood climate-control and battery-cooling systems. Plus, this design allows the I-Pace to share its face with other Jags yet still have a low coefficient of drag, just 0.29, according to the company.

The cockpit also borrows from current Jaguars but with even more screens. A 12.3-inch display houses the main instrumentation, plus there’s an optional head-up display. The capacitive-touch infotainment and climate controls occupy two screens in the center of the dash. At least there’s still a volume knob.

The I-Pace will use what the company is calling, with ample liberty, artificial intelligence to recognize each driver by the Bluetooth signal from his phone and automatically set the climate control, infotainment, and seat position. The new Navigation Pro system will calculate range estimates based on prior journeys and an individual’s driving style. Plus the I-Pace will update its own software over the air, à la Tesla. And if that’s not enough geekery for you, owners can use an Amazon Alexa device to ask for information about things such as charge level and range. No word yet on any of its driver-assistance capabilities, but this looks like a Jaguar that you’ll want to drive yourself.